Mine car



C. A. BOYD Sept. 30, 1952 MINE CAR 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 5, 195Q INVENTOR. CLARENCE A. BOYD C. A. BOYD Sept. 30, 1952 'MINS CAR Filed May 5, 1950 0 mi rllvm R ow Q :1 RN 3 WW mm m 5 I mm V Wm H ll w I. MN N o l W W mm m an 1 8 m a l m M NM hm &

C. A. BOYD MINE CAR 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed May 5, 1950 INVENTOR. CLARENCE A. BOYD Patented Sept. 30, 1952 MINE CAR Clarence A. Boyd, Barnesville, Ohio, assignor to The Watt Car & Wheel Company, Barnesville, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application May 5, 1950, Serial No. 160,149

26 Claims. 1

My invention relates to improvements in mine cars and has to do, more particularly, with drop bottom mine cars.

Conditions within the mines and at the tipples limit the overall dimensions of mine cars and, therefore, any increase in the loading capacity of such cars must be obtained by changes in the internal construction. The principal object of my invention is to provide a novel mine car construction having drop bottom doors through which the lading may be dumped, and which will have maximum capacity for the standard overall dimensions.

A further object of my invention is to provide a mine car so constructed as to have improved strength to resist strains and stresses exerted longitudinally of the car.

A further object of my invention is to provide a mine car having an improved side wall structure, which provides adequate support for the lading and is strong and sturdy, particularly with respect to forces exerted lengthwise of the car.

A further object of my invention is to provide a drop bottom mine car in which the wheels are mounted on stub axles, and the lading capacity is increased by the elimination of axles extend"- ing transversely of the discharge opening in the bottom of the car, and to provide efficient and effective means for mounting the stub axles in the side wall structure. I

A further object of my invention is to provide improved latching means, for releasably holding in closed position the swinging doors closing the discharge opening, suchlatching means being of such a nature that the movement of a door to open position causes the release of the door next in rear thereof, and to provide improved door latching means of this character which will occupy a minimumamount of. the loading space.

Further objects, and objects relating to details of construction and economies of operation, will definitely appear from the detailed description to follow. In one instance, I have accomplished the objects of my invention by the devices and means set forth in the following specification. My invention is clearly defined and pointed out in the appended claims. A structure constituting a preferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a bottom plan view of a mine car embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a view of the mine car in side elevation.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary, perspective-view of a part of the side wall structure at, a wheel location, the stub axle and wheel being omitted.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary, vertical, sectional view taken on the line 44 of Fi 2.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary, detail, sectional view taken on the line 55 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a detail, sectional view taken on the lined-6 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged, fragmentary, vertical, sectional view taken on the line 11 of Fig. 1, showing adjoining doors latched in' closed position.

Fig. 8 is a similar view but showing the forward door in open position and the door in the rear thereof released and moving to open position.

Fig. 9 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 9-9 of Fig. '7, and

Fig. 10 is .a transverse, sectional view of the hinge for the. rear door.

In the drawings, the same reference numerals refer to the same parts throughout the several views and the sectional views are taken looking in the direction of the arrows at the ends of the section lines.

Referring to the numbered parts of the drawings, the frame of my improved mine car com prises a pair of longitudinally extending side sills H], which. are connected at their ends by end sills H. End wall structures I2 are rigidly secured in any desired manner to the end sills H and to the ends of the side wall structures hereinafter to. be described. A bumper and draft rigging, indicated generally at [3, of any desired construction, is supported by and secured to each of the end sills H.

Each side sill I0 is in the form of an angle member having an upperhorizontal flange ex tending inwardly of the car. A plurality of plates I4 are mounted on each side sill H] edgewise thereof and rigidly secured thereto. These plates 14 are arranged in pairs, there being one pair at each wheel location, one plate of the air being in advance of the wheel and the other in the rear thereof. Each plate M has a horizontal lower edge l5, approximately in line with the bottoms of the side sills NJ, 2. vertical inner edge 22 and an inclined inner edge I6 sloping upwardly and outwardly therefrom from the horizontal plane of the tops of the side sills to a point near the top of the car, where'it meets a downwardly and outwardly sloping upper edge [1. E'ach'plate M has an outer vertical edge l8 extending from the outer end of edge I! to the upper end of an inwardly inclined edge 2| which extends to the vertical edge 19 extending therefrom to the outer end of bottom edge l5. Each plate I4 is provided with a notch 20, between edge 2| and edge l9, which receives the upper horizontal flange of the side sill H]. J I

Angle members 23 are rigidly secured at their ends to the pair of plates I4 at a wheel location. Each angle member 23 lies parallel to, but inwardly of, the corresponding side sill If and has a vertical leg approximately in line with the edges 22 of plate I4. A wheel section side wall member is rigidly secured to the angle member 23 and to the plates I4, at each wheel location, and each side wall member comprises an upwardly and outwardly sloping section 24 extending from the upper edge of the vertical leg of angle member 23, at the horizontal plane of the tops of the side sills I0, to the vertical plane of the car side, where said side wall member is extended upwardly to the top of the car in the vertical portion 26. A shallow recess 25 is pressed upwardly from the sloping portion 24 to clear the top of the wheel. There is an angle member 23 and a wheel section side wall member, such as described above, secured to the pair of plates I4 at each of the four wheel locations in the mine car shown. There are three main side wall sections on each side of the car, that is to say, a forward section, an intermediate section and a rear section. Each includes an angle member 21, having a horizontal leg extending outwardly, in the horizontal plane of the bottoms of the side sills H), from the vertical plane of the inner sides of angle members 23, and a vertical leg extending upwardly from the outeredge of the horizontal leg substantially in the vertical plane of the wheel flange. In the intermediate side wall sections, opposite ends of angles 21 are secured to plates I4, one inrear of a forward wheel and the other in front of a rear wheel. In the forwardsection, the rear end of angle 21 is secured to the forward plate I4 and the forward end of said angle member is secured to the front end sill II. In the rear section, the front end of angle member 2'! is rigidly secured to the rearmost plate I4, while the rear end of the angle member is rigidly secured to the rear end sill I I. Each main side wall section includes a main side wall member having a sloping portion 28 extending upwardly and outwardly, from the junction of the horizontal plane of the bottoms of the side sills I0 and the vertical plane of the inner sides of angle members 23,- to the vertical plane of the car side where it is extended upwardly in the vertical portion 29 to the top of the car. Each sloping portion 28 extends above the angle member 2! and each main side wall member is rigidly secured to the angle member 2'! and to plate I4 and, in the case of the front and rear sections, to the end wall structures I2.

. The top of the side wall structure is strengthened by a belt rail formed from'an angle member 30 applied against the upper portions 26 and 29 of the side wall members, and having one leg resting against the edges I! of plates I4. All of the parts heretofore described are rigidly secured together, as by welding; The ends of the car may be similarly reinforced by transversely extending angles 3i welded to the upper portions of the end walls I2, thus extending the belt rail completely around the upper portion of the car.

The mine car is supported by four wheels 32, two wheels on each side of the car, each wheel having a hub 33 journaled, by means of suitable bearings, on a stub axle. The outer end of each stub axle is preferably cylindrical, as indicated at 34 (Fig. 4), while the inner end of the stub axle is preferably of square cross section, as indicated at 35. Each stub axle extends horizontally transversely of side sills I0, the outer end 34 of the axle being mounted on the side sill ill, while the inner end 35 thereof is mounted in the corresponding angle member 23. An axle-engaging member 36 fits against the inside of the side sill Ill and is rigidly secured thereto, as by rivets. Each of these axle-engaging members ha a downwardly-opening recess 37, the upper end of which is curved. An axle-engaging member 33 is se cured to the outer side of angle member 23, as by means of rivets, and is provided with a downwardly-opening recess 39 of rectangular outline corresponding to the squared end 35 of the axle. The outer end 34 of .each stub axle is received in the recess 31 of a member 36 and the inner end '35 of the axle is received in the recess 39 cf axleengaging member 38. Thus, the weight of the car and its contents is transmitted to the ground through the engagement of the axle-engaging members 35 and 38 with the ends of the axles on Which the wheels 3.2 are mounted, and the wheels revolve about horizontal axes between the side sills IO and the corresponding angle members 23, and also between plates "I l secured to opposite ends of angle member 23. Notches 65 are cut in the horizontal flanges of side sills I 0 and notches 61 in the horizontal flanges of angle members 23, to give clearance for wheel hubs 33. It will be seen that the mine car may be removed from the wheels and axles by lifting it upwardly therefrom, but, to prevent the separation of the wheels and axles in case the car should be derailed or overturned, bolts 40 and GI are provided, spanning the lower ends of recesses 31 and 39, respectively, and held against inadvertent removal by cotter pins 42.

The opening in the bottom of the car for the discharge of the lading is defined by the angle members 23 and 2'? and the end sills I l and normally closed by three drop bottom doors, the front door being indicated at 43, the middle door at M and the rear door at 45. The body portion 46 of each door is flat and, when the door is closed, lies substantially in the horizontal plane defined by the bottoms of the side sills IEI. At the rear end, each door is provided with a flange 41 extending upwardly and rearwardly at an angle of about 45 to the body portion 46. At the forward end, each door is provided with an upwardly and forwardly inclined'flange 48 and with a forwardly extending lip 49, which extends substantially the full width of the door, flange 48 being braced by the lateral corner flanges 5|. Each door is reinforced by a pair of parallel reinforcing strips 50 secured to the bottom surface thereof. At the forward end of the door, each strip 50 is bent upwardly against the lower face of flange 48, while, at the rear end of the door, each strip 50 is inclined upwardly and extends beyond the end of flange 41, for connection with an abutment member hereinafter to be described.

Each door is hinged on a pair of horizontal studs 53, at opposite sides of the car, each loosely mounted in the vertical leg of one of the angle members 23 and extending inwardly therefrom. A plate 54 is applied against the innerv face of angle member 23 and has a hole therein in line with a hole in the vertical leg of said angle member, the two holes loosely receiving the outer end of stud 53. Platefi i and angle member 23 are rigidly secured together, as by welding, and the end of axle 35 prevents outward movement of pin 53, inward movement, of said pin being prevented by door fiange 41. The mine car is reinforced by transverse angle members 52, extending from one side'of the car to the other, at each wheel location. In the mine car shown, there are two pairs of wheels and, therefore, two of these transverse members. The angle member 52 opens downwardly over the joint between the rear edge of one door and the front edge of the adjacent door and, not only serves to reinforce the car, but also sheds lading away from the joint between the doors, thus preventing its loss from the car. ,The ends of this transverse reinforcing angle 52 are rigidly secured, as by welding, to opposite angle members 23 and side wall members 24. The angles 52 also serve as supports for the hinge studs 53 and for the pins on which the locking plates are mounted to swing. Hanger plates 54 and 55 have their upper ends conformed to and rigidly secured to the angle member 52 and depend therefrom parallel to each other. Each stud 53 has its inner end received in a hole in the lower end of a hanger plate 55. Hinge straps 51 are fixed to the rear end of each door, extend between plates 54 and hanger plate 55 and embrace stud 53, spacers 56 being interposed be-. tween the hinge strap and the plates 54 and 55.

Hanger bars 58 are also fitted within each angle member 52 and rigidly secured thereto, two of these hanger bars being located in engagement with the inner sides of hanger plates 55, while the other two bars are spaced therefrom inwardly of the car. Each pair of hanger bars 58 loosely receives a horizontal pin 59 which is held against excessive endwise movement in one direction by pad 59 secured to one of the hanger bars and overlying the end of pin 59. These pins are for hinging a locking plate 60, which has on its lower end a flange 6i inclined at an angle thereto and adapted to engage under the lip 49 of the adjacent door. The locking plate 60 extends across the car from one hanger plate 55 to the opposite hanger plate. Hinge straps 62 are secured to the locking plate 60 and embrace the pins 59, whereby the locking plate is mounted to swing on a horizontal axis in a plane above that including the axis of the axles and wheels. Straps 63 are secured to the upper surface of the rear portion of the front and middle doors, in line with the reinforcing strips 50, and these straps 63 extend upwardly and are curved forwardly and downwardly to form a cam abutment in line with and adapted to engage the hinge straps 62' of the corresponding locking plate. Shields 64 are secured to the front and rear edges of the angle member 52 and extend downwardly therefrom, P

being also secured to hanger plates 55 and to angle members 23. Said shields help to prevent any of the lading from escaping through the space between the ends of the lockingplate and the side wall structure of the car.

There is no transverse angle member 52 at the hinged end of the rear door 4.5 and, therefore, the studs 53, on which that door is hinged, are supported in any suitable way from end sill H. Hanger plates 54 and 55, for the rear door, are rigidly secured to end sill H and slope plate. 68 and have holes loosely receiving hinge studs 53 for the rear door (see Fig. Endwise move-. ment of stud 53, in one direction, is limited by pad 53 welded to plate 54 and overlying the outer end of pin 53, and in the other direction, is limited by door-flange 41. A notch 21' in angle member 21 and a hole 28 in side wall 28. are provided to permit insertion of stud 53 in position, after which pad 53"- is secured in place.

The front door 43 is releasably held in closed position by a latch 65 engaging lip 49 and pro vided with operating mechanism of any desired character, for instance, one to be operated by a trip alongside the track.

The arrangement of latching means for the middle door .44 and the rear door is such that, when the front door 43 is released and dropped to open position, as shown in Fig. 8, the cam abutment 63 swings from the position shown in Fig. 7 to that shown in Fig. 8, thus permitting the locking plate to swing forwardly so that lip 49. on the middle door 44 will clear flange 6| of the locking plate and permit the middle door to drop to open position. That releases the locking plate for the rear door 45 and permits that door to move to open position. The doors are restored to closed and latched position by moving the car, rear end foremost, over an abutment which first cams the rear door 45 to closed position and holds it there while the middle door 44,- is being cammed to closed position, with the result that the locking plate 60 is swung so that flange 6| engages under the lip 49 of therear door. Then, as the car moves rearwardly, the forward door 43. will be cammed to closed position, swinging its locking plate rearwardly to latch the middle door and latch.65 engages lip 49 on the front end of the front door 43: and retains it releasably in closed position. 01 course, individually locking doors might be used instead of the interlocking type shown.

I am aware that the mine car construction disclosed herein is susceptible of considerable variation: without departing from the spirit of my invention and, therefore, I claim my invention broadly as indicated'by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A mine car construction comprising the combination of a pair of side sillsextending from end to end of the car, a pair of end sills connecting the side sills at each end of the car, axles ends to the plates and extending parallel to a sidesill on the opposite side of a wheel therefrom, wheel section side wall members, one for each pair of plates, each rigidly secured to the plates of said pair and to said angle member and sloping upwardly and outwardly from the inner edge of said angle member and the horizontal plane of the tops of said side sills to the vertical plane of the car side and extending thence vertically'to the top of the car, and main side wall members rigidly secured to said plates and sloping upwardly and outwardly from the juncture of the vertical plane of the inner sides of said angle members and the horizontal plane of the bottoms of said side sills to the vertical plane of the car side and extending thence vertically to the top of the car.

2 The combination of claim 1 in which said plates extend upwardly from the horizontal plane of; the bottoms of the side sills.

3.. The combination of claim 2 in which each of said plates has an inner edge extending upwardly from the upper inner corner of the angle memberand the horizontal plane of the tops of said side sills to a point adjacent the top of the car side.

I 1.5. The combination of claim 1 including stifienlng members rigidly secured to said plates and to the lower portions of said main side wall members and extending parallel to said sidesills.

6. The combination of claim 5 in which said stiifening members are of angular formation each having a horizontal flange in line with the bottoms of the side sills and extending outwardly fromthe vertical plane of the innersides of the wheel section angle members.

7. The combination of claim 1 in which the axles are stub axles, one for each wheel, one end of each stub axle being'mounted in a side sill and the other end in one of said angle members, each wheel mounted to rotate in a vertical plane between the side sill and'the corresponding angle member.

8. The combination of claim 7 including, for each stub axle, an axle-engaging member secured to a side sill and an axle-engaging member secured toan angle member, each axle-engaging member having a downwardly-opening recess to receive an end of an axle.

9. The combination of claim 1 in which the axles are stub axles, onefor each wheel, one end of each stub axle being mounted in a sidesill and the other end in one of said angle members, each wheel mounted to rotate between the side sill and the corresponding angle member, and including a plurality of doors closing the bottom of the car and hinged about horizontal axes lying in a plane below the horizontal plane including the axes of said axles, and latching means for said doors.

10. The combination of claim 9 in which said doors are hinged on studs carried by and extending horizontally from said angle members toward the center of the car.

11. The combination of claim 10 including transverse reinforcing members, one for each pair of wheels, each rigidly secured at its ends to opposite wheel section side wall members, and in which said door hinging studs are loosely received in depending plates fixed to said transverse members.

12. The combination of claim 11 in which the latching .means comprise depending locking plates each engageable with the hinged end of a door and having a lip engageable under the free end of an adjacent door, said locking plates being swingable about horizontal axes lying in a plane above the horizontal plane including the axes of saidaxles.

13. The combination of claim 12 including horizontal pins on which said locking plates swing and means for mounting said pins on said transverse members.

14. The combination of claim 13 in which th transverse members are downwardly-opening angle members positioned to shed lading away from the joint between doors and said horizontal 'pins'are fixed'in pairs of parallel hanger bars rigidly secured to said transverse members.

15. The combination of claim 14 in which the hanger'bars are secured to the transverse members between said depending plates, whereby said pins for the locking plates are located inwardly of the car with respect to the door hinging studs. 16. The combination of claim 15 including hingestraps secured to the locking plates and embracing said pins and abutments fixed to the doors at the hinged end and engaging said locking plate hinge straps.

17. A mine car construction comprising the combination of a pair of longitudinally extending side sills, a pair of end sills connecting the ends of said side sills, side wall structures rigidly secured to said side sills, end walls rigidly secured to said end sills, stub axles mounted in and extending transversely of said side sills with their inner ends substantially in line with the lower inner portions of the side wall structures, wheels journaled on said axles, a plurality of swinging doors closing the bottom of said mine car, means for hinging said doors to swing about axes lying in a horizontal plane below the horizontal plane including the axes of said axles, and latching means for said doors, said latching means comprising a swinging locking plate suspended between the hinged end of a door and the free end of an adjacent door.

18. The combination of claim 17 in which the latching means comprise a plurality of locking plates each engaging the hinged end of a door and having a lip engageable under the free end of an adjacent door, and means for hinging said locking plates to swing about horizontal axes lying in a plane above the horizontal plane including the axes of said axles.

19. The combination of claim 18 including transverse reinforcing members extending across the car above the joints between adjacent doors and rigidly secured at their'ends to said side wall structures, plates rigidly secured to said transverse members and horizontal pins supported by said plates and on which said locking plates are hinged.

20. The combination of claim 19 in which said transverse members are downwardly-opening angle members adapted to shield the joints between adjacent doors from the car lading, and including studs extending inwardly from the side wall structures, and said doors are hinged on said studs.

21. The combination of claim 20 including hanger plates rigidly secured to and depending from said transverse members and receiving the inner ends of said studs.

22. The combination of claim 21 including hanger bars located inwardly oi the car with respect to said hanger plates and rigidly secured to said transverse members and in which said horizontal pins are received in said hanger bars.

23. The combination of claim 22 in which the lips on said doors extend across the bottom opening of the car from one side wall structure to the other and the locking plates extend transversely of the car from one hanger plate to the opposite one.

24. The combination of claim 23 including a pair of hinge straps secured to each locking plate, each of said straps embracing one of said horizontal pins, and a pair of cam abutments secured to the hinged end of a door in line with and engaging the hinge straps of the corresponding locking plate. I

25. The combination of claim 24 including shield members, each secured to a side wall structure and a hanger plate and extending downwardly from an edge of a transverse member to prevent escape of lading between a side wall and the edge of a locking plate.

26. A mine car construction comprising the combination of a pair of longitudinally extending side sills, a pair of end sills connecting the ends of said side sills, side wall structures rigidly secured to said side sills, end Walls rigidly secured to said end sills, stub axles mounted in and exrality of swinging doors closing the bottom of said mine car, means for hinging said doors to swing about axes lying in a;horizontal plane below the horizontal plane including the axes of said axles, latching means for said doors, and a reinforcing transverse member interposed between opposite wheel mountings and on which both the latching means and the door hinging means are supported. I M

CLARENCE-A. BOYD.

10 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,616,573 Field Feb. 8, 1927 1,937,556 Field Dec. 5, 1933 2,044,638 Sanford Jan. 16. 1936 2,250,555 Schroeder -"Ju ly 29, 1941 2,261,601 Willoughby Nov. 4, 1941 2,422,136 Sanford Jan. 10, 1947 

